New Level of Witch Hunt: Relatives are Targeted in Turkey


Date posted: August 18, 2016

Dudu Cakir
86-year-old mother

On July 26, Turkish police stormed the house of Muhammet Cakir, a lawyer wanted for arrest on coup charges. Failing to find the lawyer at home, they detained his 86-year-old mother to force her son to surrender. She has been kept as hostage since.

Bulent Korucu
Editor-in-Chief, Yarina Bakis

Bulent was the editor-in-chief ot Yarina Bakis daily until Turkish government shut it down in the post-coup crackdown. Now, he is wanted for arrest. On July 30, Turkish authorities detained his wife, Hacer Korucu, as a hostage until her husband surrenders. After 10 days in detention, Hacer has been arrested on August 9.

Gendarmerie searches house of Hakan Sukur
Former MP and Turkish Football Star

Gendarmerie forces have searched the house of former Turkish international footballer and former MP Hakan Şükür in the Kandıra district of the northwestern province of Kocaeli, as a part of investigations into the failed July 15 coup attempt.

A detention warrant has been issued for Şükür, who is accused of being a member of the faith-based Gülen Movement. The government accuses the movement of masterminding the coup attempt although the movement denies any involvement.

Hakan Sukur’s father Selmet Sukur has been taken into police custody on August 12 and still detained in custody.

The search was carried out as a part of the probe launched by the Sakarya Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office over the failed takeover bid, Doğan News Agency reported on Aug. 16.

Earlier, police arrested the father of Şükür as it failed to reach the former star.

Şükür played for Istanbul side Galatasaray and was capped 112 times for the Turkish national team. He also had stints abroad for Inter Milan, Parma and Blackburn Rovers.

Source: Social Port , Aug 17, 2016


Related News

Torture – Turkish prisoner says tied to chair, pushed into sea while under custody

A Turkish man, identified with his initials D.G., was bound to a chair and pushed into sea on multiple times as police officers tortured him while under custody. Detained as part of an investigation into the Gulen movement in October 2016, D.G. was put in pre-trial detention after days of torture, he told his brother during latter’s recent visit to the prison.

Columnist sees Gülen ‘conspiracy’ in ruling against Israel

Presenting the Gülen movement as the architect of the court ruling may help the government deal with a possible backlash from families, the İHH — an outspoken supporter of the government’s Middle East policies — and a wider segment of its own voters who want Israeli officials to pay for the Mavi Marmara raid, in case a reconciliation deal with Israel goes into effect. Internationally, it may help the government deal with Israeli and Western criticism that it is not committed to reconciliation with Israel despite officially vowing that it is.

Couple offering wedding feast to Syrian refugees surprised by feedback

A Turkish couple who have made their way onto major newspapers around the world for spending their wedding day feeding 4,000 Syrian refugees in the southern province of Kilis on the Syrian border have said they never thought they would receive so much positive feedback for their action.

More evidence Erdogan behind coup

While the narrative voiced by Erdogan and echoed by the Turkish press blamed Gülen exclusively, many Turks and diplomats quietly harbored suspicions that Erdogan planned and staged the coup himself as a Turkish equivalent of the Reichstag Fire. That may once have sounded like a fringe conspiracy, but increasingly it seems the likely genesis of events last July.

Powerful but reclusive Turkish cleric – BBC’s interview with Fethullah Gulen

Fethullah Gulen has been called Turkey’s second most powerful man. He is also a recluse, who lives in self-imposed exile in the US.

Former US envoys to Ankara say Erdoğan doing great harm to democracy

“Whatever his achievements over the past decade, Turkey’s prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is destroying his country’s parlous democracy. That is a profound problem for Turks and Turkey’s Western allies. Staying silent, out of fear that speaking out would harm some short-term interests, risks Turkey’s longer-term stability.”

Latest News

Turkish inmate jailed over alleged Gülen links dies of heart attack in prison

Message of Condemnation and Condolences for Mass Shooting at Bondi Beach, Sydney

Media executive Hidayet Karaca marks 11th year in prison over alleged links to Gülen movement

ECtHR faults Turkey for convictions of 2,420 applicants over Gülen links in follow-up to 2023 judgment

New Book Exposes Erdoğan’s “Civil Death Project” Targeting the Hizmet Movement

European Human Rights Treaty Faces Legal And Political Tests

ECtHR rejects Turkey’s appeal, clearing path for retrials in Gülen-linked cases

Erdoğan’s Civil Death Project’ : The ‘politicide’ spanning more than a decade

Fethullah Gülen’s Vision and the Purpose of Hizmet

In Case You Missed It

Planting Seeds of Understanding – A Buddhist View on Gulen Movement

Fethullah Gulen Acquitted

More emphasis should be given to improving students’ functional skills

Islamic scholar Gülen criticizes Turkish gov’t response to Gezi protests

Former Dutch FM: I don’t understand Erdoğan’s Hizmet hatred

‘Who do you like most, Erdoğan or Gülen?’ Turkish teacher asks primary school students

Fethullah Gulen Cited among Watkins’ 2019 the Most Spiritually Influential 100 Living People

Copyright 2026 Hizmet News